Sheet-pinning machine



J. E. HIGGINS SHEET PINNING MACHINE Oct. 18, 1938.

Filed May 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

J. E. HlGGlNS SHEET PINNING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1937 Oct. 18, 1938.

gnome/11 WITNESS Oct. 18, 1938. J, E H ms- 2,133,681

SHEET PINNING- MACHINE Filed May 25, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 li i..,

a w l" WITNESS WWW Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE1'7 Claims.

The invention relates to machines for pinning a plurality of sheets ofpaper or the like together. The machine is of the general type disclosedin my U. S. Patent 1,931,195 of October 17, 1933, in that it embodiesrelatively movable sheet-clamping members between which the sheets areclamped, coacting formations on said clamping members for archingportions of the sheets when said members are relatively moved toclamping position, a sheet-separating member over which to place one ormore of the sheets and under which to place the others, and means forforcing a pin through the arch portions of the clamped sheets and forthen forcing the pin point again through said one or more sheets andinto the space occupied by said sheet-separating member, to bury saidpoint and thus prevent possible injury therefrom.

One object of the present invention is to improve upon the priorconstruction by mounting the sheet-separating member for movement to aposition in which it is widely spaced from the sheet-clamping members,and by providing means for automatically moving said sheet-separatingmember to said position when said clamping members are relatively movedto open position, thereby greatly facilitating insertion of the sheetsabove and below said sheet-separating member.

A further object is to provide a generally improved construction whichmay be conveniently operated, one which will not jam, and one which maybe expeditiously manufactured and sold at reasonable price.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subjectmatter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplishedby reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, the vertically movable sheet-clamping armbeing in its downwardly swung position to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the parts in their normal relation inreadiness to receive the sheets to be pinned.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view on line 3-3 ofFig. 1 showing the formations imparted to the sheets when the clampingarm is depressed and illustrating a pin in readiness to be forcedthrough the distorted portions of the sheets.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the manner in which thepin is forced through the distorted sheet portions.

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in horizontal section asindicated by line 5--5 of Fig.4.

Figs. 6 and '7 are vertical transverse sectional views on lines 15-45and 1-1 respectively of Fig. 4. 5

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view showing themanner in which the pinfeeder-and-driver moves under the pins in thehopper to receive one of said pins for withdrawal from said hopper.

Fig. 9 is a detail transverse sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a disassembled perspective view showing a number of the partsof the machine.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the base 115 and thesheet-clamping arm in juxtaposition.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the sheet-separating arm.

The preferred features of construction have been illustrated in thedrawings and will be rather specifically described, with theunderstanding, however, that within the scope of the invention asclaimed, numerous variations may be made.

One of the sheet-clamping members is in the form of an elongated base l5and't'he other is constituted by a vertically swingable arm [6 pivotedupon a transverse horizontal axis to said base, said axis being disposedat the rear end of said base and arm. In the present disclosure, thebase I5 is provided with upwardly projecting flanges I! at its rear end,the rear end of the arm I8 is provided with downwardly projectingflanges l8, and a transverse pivot pin 19 passes through alignedopenings in the two sets of flanges.

The base 15 and the arm l6 are provided with coacting ridge and grooveformations 20, '21 to form arch portions 22 on the sheets S when .saidsheets are clamped between the arm and the base as shown in Figs. 3 and4.

A sheet-separting arm 23 is provided, said arm having a finger portion24 over which to place one or more of the sheets S and under which toplace the others of said sheets, said arm ext'ending longitudinally overthe base l5 and being pivotally mounted at its rear end on an axisparallel with the pivot 19 of the sheet-clamping arm 16. In the presentdisclosure, the arm 23 is integral with a rock shaft 25 passing throughalined openings in the flanges 18, in advance of the pivot pin 19. Thearm '23 is provided with a rearwardly projecting extension 26 underlyinga lateral projection on the base 15, said projection being formed in thepresent disclosure by one end IQ of the pivot pin l9, as seen in Figs. 1and 2. When the arm i6 occupies the normally raised position shown inFig. 2, the extension 26 holds the arm 23 in such a position that thefinger 24 is widely spaced above the base l5 and widely spaced below thearm l6, thereby facilitating insertion of one or more of the sheets oversaid finger 24 and the rest of the sheets under said finger. The arm I6is held normally in its raised position by a suitable spring 21 and whenit is depressed, the arm 23 also lowers so that the finger 24 finallyoccupies the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which position it actsto upwardly turn the sheet or sheets resting thereon, away from one leg28 of the arch portions 22 formed by the coacting ridge and grooveformations 2|], 2|. For further reference, the upturned portion of thesheet or sheets extending over the finger 24, is indicated at 29.

Provision is made for forcing a pin 30 through both legs of the archportions 22 of all of the sheets and for further forcing said pinthrough the upturned sheet portion 29 into the space occupied by thefinger 24, thereby burying the pin point between sheets. Fig. 3discloses the pin 30 in readiness to perform the pinning operation andFig. 4 discloses said pin after it has been driven. As the pin is movedfrom the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4, it passes first through apassage 3| in the lower portion of the arm l6, then through a groove 32in the ridge 20, then through a groove 32 in the lower portion of thearm l6, and finally into a groove 33 in the finger 24. To properlyperform its function, this finger 24 is preferably in parallel relationwith the ridge and groove formations 20, 2| and in parallel relationwith the pivots l9 and 25, and it must occupy a position in closerelation with said ridge and groove formations 20, 2|, when the sheetsare clamped as in Figs. 3 and 4.

The pin-feeding and driving means are mounted on the arm IS in thepresent disclosure and are operable by meanh of a finger-piece 34movable longitudinally of said arm. The front end of this arm isprovided with a thumb-piece 35 for depressing it to sheet-clampingposition, and said thumb-piece 35 and the finger-piece 34 are so relatedthat they may be operated by the thumb and forefinger respectively, ofthe same hand, making it very convenient to operate the device.

A hopper 36 is provided for a plurality of loose pins, a receiver 31 isprovided to receive the pins one at a time, and a combined pin feederand driver 38 is employed. This combined feeder and driver 38 is movableforwardly and rearwardly with respect to the arm l6, being shown in itsforward position in Figs. 4 and 5, in its rearward position in Fig. 3,and in an intermediate position in Fig. 8. Each time the combined feederand driver 38 moves rearwardly, it withdraws one pin from the hopper 36and deposits said pin in the receiver 31 as shown in Fig. 3, and eachtime said combined feeder and driver 38 moves forwardly, it drives thepin from the receiver 31 and at the same time engages another pin in thehopper, as disclosed in Fig. 4. The exact manner in which thesefunctions are carried out, can best be understood after a more explicitexplicit explanation of the structure, butit can now be explained thatthe combined feeder and driver 38 is connected with the finger-piece 34to be actuated thereby.

An elongated trough 39 extends longitudinally of the arm l6, said trough39 being provided with parallel side walls 40 and with a V-shaped bottom4|. In the present showing, this trough 39 is snugly received betweentwo parallel vertical side walls 42 which form parts of the arm I6. Onetransverse wall 43 closes the front end of the trough 39 and an innertransverse wall 44 extends across said trough in rearwardly spacedrelation with said wall 43, the two walls 43 and 44 being cooperablewith the front portion of the trough 39 in forming the pin hopper 36,which hopper is provided with an appropriate cover 45. This cover maywell be slidable in grooves 46 in the side walls 40 of the trough 39 andsaid cover may be bowed somewhat as illustrated in Fig. 10 to yieldablyengage the groove walls with such friction as to prevent it fromaccidentally moving to open position.

The combined pin feeder and driver 38 is in the form of an elongatedtransversely V-shaped slide resting upon the V-shaped bottom 4| of thetrough 39 and movable from a position behind the wall 44 (Fig. 3) undersaid wall and under the pins in the hopper 36 (Fig. 4), said slide beingprovided with a central longitudinal pinshaped slot 41 which opensthrough its front end and is preferably widened somewhat at said end.The slide is gradually thinned toward its front end as shown mostclearly in Fig. 8, and is also thinned toward the edges of the slot 41as seen in Figs. '1 and 9, it being thus insured that it will passreadily under the pins in the hopper. The V-form of the slide insuresthat one pin shall always lie in its central portion as the slide movesforwardly (see Fig. 8) and as soon as said slide occupies a positionwith the slot 41 directly.

under said pin, the latter will drop into said slot as seen in Fig. 4,so that upon rearward movement of the slide, the pin will be withdrawnfrom the hopper and will then fall from the slot 41 into the receiver31. A driving lug 4B is movable in this receiver 31 to force the pintherefrom through the distorted sheets, said driving lug being rigidlyjoined to the V-shaped slide or the like 38 at a point behind its slot41. This slide or the like 38 is also provided with an upwardlyprojecting lug 49 to which the finger-piece 34 is pivoted (at 5|!) andto which a spring 5| is connected to rearwardly return the slide aftereach forward movement thereof.

The receiver 31 is formed, in the present disclosure, by a longitudinalslot in the lower portion of the arm l6, and a thin plate 52 secured byscrews or the like to the lower side of said arm and extending acrosssaid slot. The V- shaped bottom 4| is, of course, provided with acentral longitudinal slot 53, through which a pin may drop from the slot41 into the receiver.

A normally lowered vertically yieldable gate 54 Contacts slidably withthe inner end wall 44 of the hopper 36 and is normally held down againstthe bottom 4| by a suitable spring 55 which may well be attached to thehopper cover 45. While I have stated that this gate 54 is normally helddown against the bottom 4|, the downward movement of said gate ispreferably limited by a stop flange 56 on the gate to abut the upperedge of the wall 44, so that a few thousandths of an inch may existbetween the lower edge of the gate and the bottom 4| to allow theforwardly thinned slide 38 to readily start under said gate as it ismoved forwardly. As the forward movement of the slide continues, itstapered form raises the gate 54, and as the slide again movesrearwardly, the spring 55 again closes said gate, overcoming anypossibility of any of the pins accidentally sliding rearwardly from thehopper under the wall 44.

In the form of construction herein disclosed, the front end wall 43 ofthe hopper 38 is integral with the arm-carried walls 42, and the rearWall 44 of said hopper is integral with the front ends of two fiatlongitudinal strips 51 which lie against the inner sides of the troughside walls 4%, the lower edges of said strips 51 being suitably shapedto rest upon the slide 38 to hold the latter slidably against the troughbottom 4|. The inner sides of the strips 51 are grooved at 58 toslidably receive the gate 54. The rear ends of the strips 51 areprovided with lateral hooks 59 which pass through notches 68 in the rearend of the trough 39, said hooks being hooked around the inner ends ofsaid notches as seen in Fig. 5 and projecting outwardly beyond thetrough side walls 40 into additional notches 6! in the rear ends of theside walls 42 of the arm is. By this construction, the two strips 51 areheld against vertical shifting and against inward springing, and therear end of the trough 39 is connected with the rear ends of the sidewalls 42. Screws 62 pass through the side walls 42 of the arm 16, andthrough the side walls 48 of the trough 39, and are threaded into thefront portions of the strips 51, securing all of these parts together.When disassembling the machine for repair or the like, however, removalof the screws 62 permits rearward sliding of the strips 5'! to disengagetheir hooks 58 from the notches 68 and 6 i, whereupon said strips may bereadily slipped out of the trough 33 and the latter may also be slippedfrom engagement with the walls 42.

The parts stand normally as shown in Fig. 2, with the finger 24 betweenand widely spaced from the base 15 and the arm IE to facilitateinsertion of the sheets S. To further facilitate such insertion, the armand base may be provided with rearwardly projecting guide springs orfingers E3 preventing catching of the sheets upon any parts of the armor base. After insertion of the sheets with one or more of them over thefinger 24, and the others under said finger, the arm is is depressed,thereby distorting the sheets as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. By now pullingforwardly upon the finger-piece 34, the combined pin-feeder and driver38 moves forwardly from the position of Fig. 3, driving the pin 30previously left in the receiver 38, through the distorted sheetportions, as seen in Fig. 4, and burying the pin point between sheets.The forward movement of the combined feeder and driver 38 causes it toreceive another pin from the hopper 36 as shown in Fig. 4, insuring thatits return movement shall deposit this pin in the receiver 38 inreadiness for the next pinning operation. When the arm [6 is released,the spring 21 restores it to the raised position of Fig. 2 and the armextension 26 strikes against the end 19 of the pivot pin 18, positioningthe arm 23 so as to clamping members, coacting formations on saidmembers for arching portions of the sheets when said members arerelatively moved into clamping relation, a sheet-separating member overwhich to place one or more of the sheets and under which to place theothers, and means for forcing a pin through the arch portions of theclamped sheets and for then forcing the pin point into the spaceoccupied by said sheet-separating member; said improvement comprisingmeans mounting :10 said sheet-separating member for movement to aposition at which it is widely spaced from said sheet-clamping members,and means for automatically moving said sheet-separating member to saidposition when said sheet-clamping members are relatively moved to openposition, thereby facilitating insertion of the sheets.

2. A sheet pinning machine comprising a base over which to place allsheets to be pinned, a sheet-clamping arm pivotally mounted on said 129base for clamping all of the sheets against the same, saidsheet-clamping arm normally occupying a raised position above said base,coacting ridge and groove formations on said base and sheet-clamping armfor arching the portions of 595 the sheets to be pinned when saidsheet-clamping arm is depressed, a pivotally mounted sheet-separatingarm having a finger portion over which to place one or more of thesheets and under which to place the others, said finger portion nor-(320 mally occupying a position above said base and below saidsheet-clamping arm to facilitate insertion of the sheets, said fingerportion being parallel with and disposed near said ridge and grooveformations when the two arms are swung." downwardly, whereby to causethe sheet or sheets resting upon said finger portion to turn upwardlyfrom one leg of the arch portions imparted to the sheets, and means forforcing a pin transversely through both legs of said arch portions andthrough the upwardly turned portion of the sheet or sheets resting onsaid finger portion.

3. A sheet pinning machine comprising a base over which to place allsheets to be pinned, a sheet-clamping arm pivoted on a horizontal axisto said base and normally diverging therefrom, coacting ridge and grooveformations on said base and arm for arching the portions of the sheetsto be pinned when said arm is depressed, said ridge and grooveformations extending in parallel relation with the pivotal axis of saidarm, a sheet-separating arm pivotally mounted on an axis unidirectionalwith the aforesaid pivotal axis, said sheet-separating arm having alaterl finger over which to plce one or more of; the sheets and underwhich to place the others, said finger being disposed between said baseand said sheet-clamping arm and being normally spaced vertically fromboth thereof to facilitate insertion of the sheets, said finger beingparallel with said ridge and groove formations and occupying a positionnear the same when the two arms are swung downwardly, whereby to causethe sheet or sheets resting on said finger to turn upwardly from one legof the arch portions im-;, parted to the sheets, and means for forcing apin transversely through both legs of said arch portions and through theupwardly turned portion of the sheet or sheets resting on said finger.

4. A sheet pinning machine comprising a 7-70 over which to place all ofthe sheets to be pinned, a sheet-clamping arm pivoted on a horizontalaxis to said base, a spring for normally holding said arm in an upwardlyswung position, coacting ridge and groove formations on said base andarm for arching the portions of the sheets to be pinned when said arm isdepressed, a sheet-separating arm pivoted to said sheet-clamping arm onan axis near and parallel with the pivotal axis of said sheet-clampingarm, said sheet-separating arm having a lateral finger over which toplace one or more of the sheets and under which to place the others,means engaging said sheetseparating arm for normally holding the latterin such position as to space said finger below said sheet-clamping armand above said base to facilitate insertion of the sheets, said fingerbeing located to cause the sheet or sheets resting thereon to turnupwardly from one leg of the arch portions imparted to the sheets, andmeans for forcing a pin transversely through both legs of said archportions and through the upwardly turned portion of the sheet or sheetsresting on said finger.

5. A sheet pinning machine comprising a base over which to place all ofthe sheets to be pinned, a sheet-clamping arm pivoted on a horizontalaxis to said base, a spring for normally holding said arm in an upwardlyswung position, ooacting ridge and groove formations on said base andarm for arching the portions of the sheets to be pinned when said arm isdepressed, a sheet-separating arm pivoted to said sheet-clamping arm onan axis parallel with the pivotal axis of said sheetclamping arm andspaced i'orwardly from this axis, said sheet-separating arm having alateral finger over which to place one or more of the sheets and underwhich to place the others, said sheet-separating arm having an extensionprojecting rearwardly beyond its pivotal axis, said base being providedwith a fixed lateral projection lying normally upon said extension tohold the sheet-separating arm in such position as to space said fingerbelow said sheet-clamping arm and above said base to facilitate sheetinsertion, said finger being located to cause the sheet or sheetsresting thereon to turn upwardly from one leg of the arch portionsimparted to the sheets, and means for forcing a pin transversely throughboth legs of said arch portions and through the upwardly turned portionof the sheet or sheets resting on said finger.

6. A sheet pinning machine comprising a base over which to place thesheets to be pinned, a sheet-clamping arm pivoted at one end to saidbase, ooacting means on said arm and base for arching portions of thesheets when said arm is depressed, a pin hopper on said arm, and pinfeeding and driving means on said arm, said pin feeding and drivingmeans having a reciprocable operating member slidable longitudinally ofsaid arm and provided with a finger-piece to be engaged by one of theusers fingers.

'7. A sheet pinning machine comprising a base over which to place thesheets to be pinned, a sheet-clamping arm pivoted at one end to saidbase, ooacting means on said arm and base for arching portions of thesheets when said arm is depressed, a pin hopper on said arm, and pinfeeding and driving means on said arm, said pin feeding and drivingmeans having an operating member movable longitudinally of said arm andprovided with a finger-piece to be engaged by one of the users fingers,said arm having a thumbpiece for depressing it, said thumb and fingerpieces being so related as to be operated respectively by the thumb andforefinger of the same hand.

8. A sheet pinning machine comprising a base over which to place thesheets to be pinned, a

sheet-clamping arm pivoted at one end to said base, ooacting means onsaid arm and base for arching portions of the sheets when said arm isdepressed, a pin hopper carried by said arm for holding loose pins inpositions in which they extend longitudinally of said arm, pin receiverextending longitudinally of said arm to receive the pins one at a timeand position them for passage through the arch portions imparted to thesheets, and a combined pin feeder and driver slidable longitudinally ofsaid arm, each movement of said combined feeder and driver in onedirection serving to withdraw one pin from said hopper and to depositsaid pin in said pin receiver, each movement of said combined feeder anddriver in the opposite direction serving to drive the pin from saidreceiver through the arch portions of the sheets and to engage saidcombined feeder and driver with another pin in the hopper.

9. In a pinning machine, pin-holding means, a receiver to receive thepins one at a time, and unitarily reciprocable means for alonewithdrawing a pin from said holding means upon each rearward stroke, fordirectly dropping this withdrawn pin into said receiver, and for drivingthis same pin from said receiver into the work during the next forwardstroke.

10. In a pinning machine, an elongated trough having a transverselyV-shaped bottom, inner and outer parallel walls extending transverselyof said trough and ooacting therewith in forming a pin hopper in whichthe pins lie longitudinally with their heads toward said inner wall, anda transversely V-shaped feed slide movable longitudinally in said troughand having a longitudinal pinshaped slot of a size to receive one pin,said slide when moved in one direction being slidable under said innerwall and under the pins in the hopper to receive one pin in its slot,said slide when moved in the other direction serving to wit draw saidone pin from the hopper, the bottom of said trough being provided with alongitudinal slot through which the withdrawn pin rops,

'means under this slot for receiving the pin and means for driving saidpin.

11. In a pinning machine, an elongated trough having a transverselyV-shaped bottom, inner and outer parallel walls extending transverselyof said trough and ooacting therewith in forming a pin hopper in whichthe pins lie longitudinally with their heads toward said inner wall, anda transversely V-shaped feed slide movable longitudinally in said troughand having a longitudinal pinshaped slot of a size to receive one pin,said slide when moved in one direction being slidable under said innerwall and under the pins in the hopper to receive one pin in its slot,said slide when moved in the other direction serving to withdraw saidone pin from the hopper, the bottom of said trough being provided with alongitudinal slot through which the withdrawn pin drops, a pin receiverunder this slot and extending longitudinally of said trough, and apin-driving lug secured to said slide and projecting downwardly throughthe last mentioned slot into said pin receiver.

12. A structure as specified in claim together with two parallel stripscarrying said inner wall and overlying said slide to assist in guidingthe same, said strips lying longitudinally against the inner faces ofthe longitudinal side walls of said trough and being secured thereto.

13. A structure as specified in claim 10; to-' gether with a holder forsaid trough having parallel longitudinal side walls lying against theouter faces of the side walls of said trough, said outer transverse wallbeing part of said holder; two parallel strips carrying said innertransverse wall and overlying said slide to assist in guiding the same,said strips lying longitudinally against the inner faces of saidlongitudinal side walls of said trough, and means securing saidlongitudinal side walls of said holder and trough and said longitudinalstrips together.

14. A structure as specified in claim 10; together with a holder forsaid trough having parallel longitudinal side walls lying against theouter faces of the side walls of said trough, two parallel stripscarrying said inner transverse wall and overlying said slide to assistin guiding the same, said strips lying longitudinally against the innerfaces of said longitudinal side walls of said trough, and means securingsaid longitudinal side walls of said holder and trough and saidlongitudinal strips together, said securing means including registeringnotches in the inner ends of all of said longitudinal walls, and lateralhooks on the free ends of said longitudinal strips, said hooks beinghooked into the notches of the trough side walls and extending into thenotches of the holder side walls.

15. A structure as specified in claim 10; together with a spring-loweredgate lying against said transverse inner wall and projecting downwardlytherefrom to prevent pins from accidentally sliding out of the hopperunder said inner transverse wall, said gate being upwardly slidable,said feed slide being tapered to raise said gate and to slide readilyunder the pins in the hopper.

16. In a pinning machine, pin-holding means, a stationary pin receiverto receive the pins one at a time, and a combined pin feeder and drivermovable from a forward position under said pinholding means to arearward position over said stationary receiver and vice versa; saidcombined feeder and driver having a pin-withdrawing portion operablewhen said combined feeder and driver is moved to said rearward position,to withdraw a pin from said pin-holding means and deposit it directly insaid stationary receiver; said combined feeder and driver being providedalso with a pin-driving portion behind said pin-withdrawing portion andoperable when said combined feeder and driver is moved to said forwardposition, to drive the same pin from the receiver into the work.

17. In a pinning machine, pin-holding means,

- a receiver to receive the pins one at a time, and

unitarily reciprocable means having a reciprocable pin-engaging portionfor withdrawing a pin from said holding means upon each rearward strokeand for directly dropping this withdrawn pin into said receiver, saidunitarily reciprocable means having a reciprocable pin-driving portionfor driving the same pin from said receiver into the work during thenext forward stroke of said unitarily reciprocable means.

JOSEPH E. HIGGINS.

